...without heated words arising on both sides of the debate. Research Legislation on stem cells has a long history, but in the United States, it is quite young. It seems with the change in the political powers of America comes a change in the views of stem cell research and its legislation. The NIH Revitalization Act of 1993 was signed into law by President Clinton. It was through this Act that in vitro fertilization (IVF) research was congressionally sanctioned without prior approval of the Ethics Advisory Board. President Clinton decided still to create a 19 member committee to oversee the ethical dimensions of this research. The committee was called the NIH Human Embryo Research Panel. This committee came back in September of 94’ and their decision was that government spending should be allotted and that human embryos could be specifically created for research. President Clinton decided not to take the panel’s suggestion and enacted an executive directive prohibiting federal funding on research to support the creation of human embryos used exclusively for research purposes. President Clinton mandated that federal funds can only be applied to research using human stem cells derived from frozen embryos that were created for purposes of infertility treatment and were in excess of clinical need or from fetal tissue. In 1996, the executive order was enforced by Congress and they have passed a similar ban restricting NIH funding annually since that time. Page 1 In my opinion...
Words: 1687 - Pages: 7
...Human Cloning Table of Contents: Advantages and Disadvantages Human Cloning and Divine Command Theory Human Cloning and Naturalism Human Cloning and Religion Human Cloning and Utilitarianism Human Cloning and Ethical Egoism Human Cloning and Kantianism Advantages and Disadvantages Like any other controversial topic, human cloning has numerous advantages and disadvantages, and based on these, one ought to decide whether to condemn human cloning as ethically right or not. On the one hand, there are several advantages for human cloning. These are mostly medical and political advantages. From a medical point of view, cloning can serve to improve the human condition. As a matter of fact, it provides cures to various diseases. With human cloning legalized, doctors would no longer treat cancer by chemotherapy; they would rather replace the affected cancerous organ by a new cloned one. Another way human cloning can serve to improve the human condition is by improving future generations. Some traits in human beings are unwanted and undesirable and can therefore be genetically dismissed in clones. Thus, future generations will not bear these unwanted characteristics. Furthermore, human cloning can serve to provide solutions to problems such as infertility and aging. Although Human cloning has a good number of advantages, it also has a lot of drawbacks. First of all, human cloning is the act of creating a new human being using technology and not the traditional way. This causes a...
Words: 2326 - Pages: 10
...Abstract Cloning first kick-started in 1996, with the cloning of Dolly, in which there was no male involved in the cloning. Ever since Dolly, hundreds of animals have been cloned. Every single day, scientists are getting close and closer to cloning humans. With the technology today, it is seems more evident to happen. Nevertheless, not everyone believes that we should be cloning humans. In the United States right now, there is no law banning any kind of human cloning. This means that at this moment, scientists have the right to clone a human if they wanted to. While some believe that, we should not ban cloning in the United States, there are also many that believe that we should, and I am one of them. Within this paper, I will explain my view in order to plead my case that human cloning is unethical and inhumane. Human Cloning, Is it Ethical Human cloning is and has been the subject of moral debate in the United States and around the world, and because of this it has raised many ethical questions. One thing that I do have in common with our previous president Bush is his principle that it is unethical to create human life for destroying it. I never thought about human cloning and its relevance until I watched the movie, called The Island. The Island is a sci-fi action thriller that reportedly cost about $120 million to make. Its powerful message is against creating human life in a laboratory and it truly came through loud and clear despite...
Words: 1677 - Pages: 7
...first reported the isolation of human embryonic stem cells. The discovery, made by Dr. James A. Thomson, a biologist at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, offered great promise for new ways of treating disease. With this great discovery much debate came over stem cell research. Even though Dr. Thomson research was extraordinary this topic has been in debate for over thirty-years. During this time the legislation had been revised to in compass new advancement in the research along with protect the public interest. The question that is continually being evaluated is the use of stem cell ethical. In 1973, Supreme Court decision in Roe v. Wade rules that decisions about abortion are private, between a woman and her doctor. Some States may not forbid abortion in first two trimesters. This decision sparks a large, politically active anti-abortion movement that opposes research on embryos. Members of Congress become concerned about research exploitation of embryos and fetuses that will be aborted. (Wertz, 2002) In 1974,Congress applies its own temporary moratorium on federally funded clinical research on embryos and embryonic tissue, including research on IVF, infertility, and prenatal diagnosis, until national guidelines can be established. A de facto moratorium continues until the present. Basic, non-therapeutic, research using embryonic cells continues, out of public view. Congress establishes National Commission for the Protection of Human Subjects of Biomedical and Behavioral...
Words: 2715 - Pages: 11
...in dispute about whether it is appropriate for the justices to take into account the views of courts in other countries. There are no comparable arguments about the importance of medical conclusions from other countries, because human anatomy and physiology are unanimous. But, law is jurisdictional. (George J. Annas, 2011) However, there are lessons to be can learned from legal controversies in foreign courts. The latest verdict of the Canadian Supreme Court on the regulation of reproductive medicine is a key model, especially because it divided the court in a five-to-four decision, giving both sides the chance to articulate powerfully held points of view. (George J. Annas, 2011) Canada’s bottom line is that reproductive medicine is a part of the practice of medicine, and since regulation of the practice of medicine is a provincial authority, supervision of reproductive medicine is not constitutional when operated by the federal government (unless it involves the prohibition of an activity that is inherently “evil”). When the justices arrived at the conclusion that procedures (and possible procedures) in the area of reproductive medicine could be split into “immoral” ones, such as cloning, germline genetic engineering, and commercialization of human gametes and pregnancy, and legitimate or “moral” ones, such as in vitro fertilization and noncommercial gamete donation and surrogacy. (George J. Annas, 2011) This was a rational step that at least for five of the justices took...
Words: 841 - Pages: 4
...population knows or has heard something in reference to stem cell research, weather it is from magazine articles or news, at some point in our daily lives we’ve heard the term “Stem Cell Research.” Stem cells due to their controversial nature, has seen numerous changes in the legislation governing its research and the types of stem cells – weather it is fetal, cord, embryonic, etc... – The legislation affecting stem cells can determine where the U.S. stands on this ground breaking research. According to Lanza, A simple definition for stem cells is as follows “a stem cell is a cell that has the potential to develop into a number of different types of cells in the body.” (2011). Basically, stem cells are the base of all organs and tissues in the human body, a master cell of some sort. Stems cell, also have the potential be the backbone of many medical breakthroughs in centuries to come, from age prevention to helping with disabilities such as blindness, inability to walk, etc... As mention earlier in this paper there are many types of stem cells, but for purpose of this paper I shall focus on adult & embryonic stem cells. An adult stem cell is an undifferentiated cell that is found amongst differentiated cells in an organ or tissue that processes the ability to renew itself, as well as differentiate into other specialized cell types. By their nature, adult stem cells aren’t as controversial as embryonic stem cells because of the way in which they can be harvested – adult stem cells...
Words: 1730 - Pages: 7
...Stem Cell Cloning Research Braden Harrah Marshall University Abstract The term cloning of stem cell is used by scientists to describe many different processes that involve making duplicates of the different types of stem cells. In different types of cases, stem cells are duplicated for scientific study and no new results were found during the experiment of trying to clone stem cells. This led to the experiment that led to the cloning of Dolly the sheep in 1997. It used a cloning technique called that scientist have been trying to memorize and resulted in an animal that was a genetic twin. This technique can also be used to produce a stem cell from which cells called embryonic stem cells could be extracted to use in research into potential therapies for a wide variety of diseases. The diseases they are hopefully cure or give therapeutic help to is Parkinson’s and Alztimers disease. Introduction Stem cell cloning has been the overall climax for scientific research. Stem cell cloning has evolved ever since they found out what stem cells could do if they were cloned properly. Based on my research, the assumption that cloning stem cells can help mankind appear to be true. Throughout my research on cloning of stem cells I got the idea that if stem cells were cloned that they can cure common diseases such as diabetes and Alzheimer’s. They need to practice on getting the cloning down right before even trying it on a human. They want to continue research on how to clone stems...
Words: 2706 - Pages: 11
...what life has to offer. This is a great mindset for anyone to have since life is a beautiful thing and worth living. With all of the advanced medical technology on this specific subject and the new findings that are constantly being done to prolong the human lifespan, we start to enter into the area of what is ethically right and wrong and wonder how much is too much? There are many different forms of medical treatment that can save someone’s life. This will vary from medicine to surgery and many things in between. Not everyone will agree on some of the techniques used, but most people understand why someone would want to save their life. Since people will try to save their own lives if they are dying, many scientists believe that there is no difference in trying to extend a life through medicine, or trying to create a life from another person through a cloning system. This is where the tables turn from helping mankind, to hurting what God has created for us. There are many conflicts between prolonging life and Christianity. Some people say that the world is entering into an area we do not belong, while others say we have already crossed that line. How Religion Is Impacted By Science Extending the Lifespan of a Human Introduction Currently, physicians have the know-how and advanced technology which...
Words: 3538 - Pages: 15
...behind new advancements and new cures, such as stem cell research, continues to cause concern on a national basis. Such technological findings have been considered by some people to be deviant acts and are not socially accepted. Controversial issues relating to the altering of human organisms has created a stigma of being a deviant act. Extensive research for scientific breakthroughs and innovative technological advancements in the medicine field has provided the necessary tools to improve human life. Many would argue that genetically altering human organisms is immoral and would cause problems beyond our control in the near future. In the following scenario, a doctor has made it clear that whether or not a patent is granted for his research, he will continue with studies either in the United States or overseas. A patent can be approved if all measures of the project have been consented upon by the Federal Government which would allow the creator the opportunity to protect the invention or discovery from other companies trying to create replicas to seek profit. Fortunately, this doctor does not need to be concerned with continuing the research since no law prohibits anyone from conducting further research in the United States if the patent is not granted. No prohibitions exist on scouting other national policies and regulations regarding patents using computer advancement to have the capability...
Words: 2261 - Pages: 10
...Right To DieWeek 11Ken WinklerGE217February 25, 2012Steve Ryan | This paper will cover the topic of the right to die for people who are terminally ill. The issue is physician assisted suicide and should individuals have the right to decide for themselves that they want to have their life terminated. There are no laws against a person taking their own life but a terminally ill person probably would need the help of a physician to take their life, and that it is explicitly illegal in 34 states (Euthansia.com, 2012). Christian clergy state that the laws of the church will not allow anyone to take their own life or to have help in taking their life as it is viewed in the same light as murder. Anyone who chooses physician assisted suicide will have to abandon their religion since they will not have support of their clergymen if they decide to end their life. Since they are terminally ill and not going to be able to do this by themselves, they will need a physician to help. They will have to find a physician who has abandoned the principle of ethical standards that all doctors swear to live by, the Hippocratic Oath. Most Christian and Jewish religious laws forbid any form of assisted suicide and condemn any person who does this or helps anyone with this. Physician assisted suicide is one of those issues that both sides of the argument have strong feelings for supporting their position, the right to die may not invoke fist fights but vastly different opinions exist for it in all...
Words: 945 - Pages: 4
...Chapter 1: Ethical Theory Meta-ethical positions include: * Ethical non-cognitivism (concept that ethics is a matter of feelings) * Ethical relativism (concept that ethics is relative to a particular point of view) * Ethical objectivism (notion that ethics is objective in nature). Meta-Ethical Positions Ethical Non-cognitivism The basis of ethical non-cognitivism is that ethical disagreement can be a highly emotional affair where no amount of reasoning is likely to convince the other party. * Example: “Let’s just agree to disagree” Ethical Relativism * Ethical relativism says that while ethical statements are cognitively meaningful, they do not hold in any objective sense because they depend on our point of view. * If we accept ethical relativism, then ethical disagreement among people who do not share the same perspective becomes impossible. * It assumes that if people agree on something, then it must be true. * Ethical relativism is suspect for a pragmatic reason: it is fundamentally at variance with our social practice. * Example: “To each his own”, or the belief that what’s right for one group isn’t necessarily right for another Ethical Objectivism * Ethical objectivism holds that right and wrong are objective phenomena. * Example: “I’m right and you’re wrong” What is Ethics? * As a discipline, ethics is a branch of philosophy. * It deals with questions of right and wrong conduct, and with what we ought to do and what...
Words: 23725 - Pages: 95
...SIMONS KATHRYN ROSENBERG NATALIE KINDRED Sydney IVF: Stem Cell Research At Sydney IVF we absolutely respect your beliefs. Because of this, we have taken the care to devise acceptable assisted conception programs for virtually all faiths—Christianity (including the Brethren), Islam, Judaism (including supervised kosher treatment cycles), Hinduism, and Buddhism. We guarantee that your eggs and your sperm will never be used in a way that you have not explicitly or implicitly consented to. — (Sydney IVF website) This case study describes the strategy implementation choices made by executives at Sydney IVF Limited: an Australian business that tested and performed research using human embryos derived from in vitro fertilization. In vitro fertilization (IVF) was a process that allowed human eggs to be fertilized outside a woman’s womb. In a typical IVF cycle, a woman’s ovaries were stimulated with fertility drugs to encourage the production of anywhere from 3 to 30 eggs. These eggs were then retrieved from the ovaries and fertilized with sperm in a glass test tube or petri dish—hence the Latin term in vitro, which means “in glass.” The fertilized eggs grew in a specialized culture medium (a nutrient-rich salt solution) for several days. The resulting embryos—clusters of cells that form after an egg is fertilized—were then transferred back to the woman’s uterus with the hope of achieving pregnancy and ultimately a healthy baby. The in vitro fertilization process typically...
Words: 10084 - Pages: 41
...Utilitarianism, Kantian Ethics, Natural Rights Theories, and Religious Ethics A “utilitarian” argument, in the strict sense, is one what alleges that we ought to do something because it will produce more total happiness than doing anything else would. Act utilitarianism (AU) is the moral theory that holds that the morally right action, the act that we have a moral duty to do, is the one that will (probably) maximize “utility” (happiness, welfare, well-being). AU is not to be confused with egoism. The egoist really only cares about his own happiness. AU says that everyone’s happiness counts equally. Suppose that executing Joseph would in the long run produce more total happiness than letting him live would. Then according to AU, we ought to execute Joseph. Now if Joseph is a convicted serial murderer who would probably escape and commit more murders if we tried to incarcerate him, then it’s reasonable to think that executing him would be the right thing to do. But what if he has committed no crime? What if he is simply an extremely irritating person with no friends or loved ones, and the many people with whom he has contact in his life are very sensitive and dislike him intensely? Since more total happiness is produced if Joseph dies (the increased happiness of the many who no longer have to endure him outweighs his unhappiness about dying) than if he lives, AU says that it’s right to kill him. This example illustrates what is probably the main objection to AU: it tells us to violate...
Words: 2878 - Pages: 12
...person who seeks to die is, to paraphrase Foucault, ‘the Passenger par excellence: that is, the prisoner of the passage’ (Foucault. 1967, p.11) The European Convention on Human Rights sets out a number of fundamental rights and freedoms, right to life, prohibition of torture, prohibition of slavery and forced labour, right to liberty and security, right to a fair trial, no punishment without law, right to respect and family life, freedoms of thought, conscience and religion, freedom of expression, freedom of assembly and association, right to marry, right to effective remedy, and prohibition of discrimination The Council of Europe produced the European Convention on Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms in 1950. This body was formed in the aftermath of the Second World War to achieve unity among its members in such matters as the protection of fundamental rights. The Convention was drafted after the atrocities of the Second World War. The Convention was signed by the High Contracting Parties in 1950, and came into force in1953. It was ratified by the United Kingdom in 1957. Article 2 of the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental freedoms protects the right to life.[1] The right to life is the first substantive right proclaimed in the convention because it is the most basic human right of all; if you could arbitrarily be deprived of your life; all other rights would become illusory. The Convention does not clarify what life is or when it starts...
Words: 7495 - Pages: 30
...ethical theories. We can talk about two main general categories in which we can place the ethical theories: teleological and deontological. From the first category we enumerate the Aristotelian perspective or the one developed by J. St. Mill, while the Kantian perspective is exemplary for deontological ethics. According to the teleological perspective, a form of human behavior is described as moral or non-moral according to the goals explicitly set. The mere achievement of these goals is a necessary and sufficient condition to qualify as moral people’s actions or deeds without taking into account the “intermediate stages” of the actions performed to achieve those goals. Deontology, as a general horizon of articulating the ethical theories, believes on the contrary that in every moment of our existence, every action or deed that we accomplish can be described as moral or non-moral according to the ethical principles underlying our behavior. The very important consequences arising from the two general theoretical horizons concern two different perspectives on “human nature”, or what we call the essence of the human being. Starting from this horizon we will have the consequentialist and deontological dimensions related to euthanasia. The bioethical dimension in which we will discuss the issue of euthanasia involves both dimensions or horizons. The arguments against euthanasia seem to rely rather on the Kantian deontological horizon, while euthanasia pros seem to rely on...
Words: 9099 - Pages: 37
